Greek Olympic officials accidentally knighted David Beckham without the queen's permission. During the ceremonial handover of the Olympic torch, the public address announcer twice referred to the L.A. Galaxy star as "Sir David Beckham," according to the Associated Press.

The gaffe drew chuckles from the Britons on hand, as Beckham has yet to receive the distinction from Queen Elizabeth II.

Beckham was in Athens, Greece as part of the official delegation representing London — the host city of the 2012 Summer Olympic games. The ceremony took place at Panathenaic Stadium, which was the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

Princess Anne accepted the flame as president of the British Olympic Association, and Beckham will help her transport it back to Britain aboard a plane dubbed "The Firefly."

The plane will land in Cornwall, England where the 70-day torch relay, which covers roughly 7,950 miles, will begin.